ENGLISH 265 : Shakespeare: Comedies and Tragicomedies

Arts

2020 Summer School (1200) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A study of selected comedies and tragicomedies of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Works of Shakespeare may include the romantic comedies of his first decade and a half as a playwright, the so-called 'problem plays', the darker comedies of his middle years, and the tragicomedies of his final years, sometimes called 'romances'. The nature of comedy and its relationship to tragedy is also explored.

Course Overview

This introduction to the golden age of English theatre involves detailed study of six of Shakespeare’s comedies. Lectures will address the origins, nature, and kinds of comic drama. You will be encouraged to think across texts as well as to engage in close analysis of individual plays. Shakespeare’s early work is represented by The Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, his midcareer romantic comedies by Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It, and his late ‘romance’ style by The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.  

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage I in English or Drama, or approval of Academic Head or nominee Restriction: ENGLISH 310

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Have an ability to read and understand early modern English verse and prose; (Capability 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3)
  2. Have an understanding of traditions of stage performance in early modern England (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 4.2)
  3. Be able to recognize and discuss some important features and changes in English society and culture across this period, as reflected in drama. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 2.1)
  4. Have a familiarity with typical features and structures of Shakespeare's comedies (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 2.3)
  5. Have an ability to discuss and compare dramatic literature from this period using critical and scholarly resources. (Capability 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Tutorial exercises (5 x 2%) (500 wds) 10% Individual Coursework
Shorter essay (1000 words) 15% Individual Coursework
Longer essay (1500 words) 25% Individual Coursework
Final Exam (2 hrs) 50% Individual Examination

All written work must be completed to pass the course.

Next offered

This course is likely to be offered again in Summer School of 2022

Learning Resources

Set Texts (all by Shakespeare)
The Comedy of Errors, ed. Wells (Oxford, 1995),
 A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ed. Oliver (Oxford, 2008),
 Much Ado About Nothing, ed. Zitner (Oxford, 1993)
 As You Like It, ed. Brissenden (Oxford, 2008),
 The Winter’s Tale, ed. Orgel (Oxford, 2008),
 The Tempest, ed. Orgel (Oxford, 2008).
It is not essential that you acquire these specific editions but you must bring a printed copy of each play to tutorials. Make sure that your edition offers a good set of annotations and an introduction.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.


Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

AV Resources
Recordings of all the Shakespeare plays on the course are in the Library collection. Some productions are also available online through the library catalogue.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894), which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 01/10/2019 05:53 p.m.